Natural Gas is a naturally formed hydrocarbon gas mixture made up mostly by methane, and it is used as a fuel to heat buildings, cook food, dry clothes, and even can produce electricity. Natural Gas contains many stakeholders, including some like Exxon Mobil, XTO Energy, and the citizens living near the fracking zone. Natural Gas is a cleaner energy source than coal and oil, yet its negative impact on the environment occurs during the process of hydrofracking, the effort to extract natural gas from underground, and pollutants from these efforts are found in rivers and streams. Recently, President Obama's administration proposed a bill in an attempt to control the chemicals released when hydrofracking, and currently companies involved in this issue must send a list of all chemicals that are present underground, in order to monitor the problem. In Pavilion, Wyoming the EPA considered the chemicals being released underground a cause for contamination of groundwater. The chemicals were inserted underground and flowed down the hydraulic gradient all the way to drawdown level of the aquifer.
There are several different types of natural gas:
Typical Composition of Natural Gas
Methane
CH4
70-90%
Ethane
C2H6
0-20%
Propane
C3H8
Butane
C4H10
Carbon Dioxide
CO2
0-8%
Oxygen
O2
0-0.2%
Nitrogen
N2
0-5%
Hydrogen sulphide
H2S
0-5%
Rare gases
A, He, Ne, Xe
trace
"Natural gas is a fuel that’s used to heat buildings, cook food, dry clothes, heat water, and even to help produce electricity. In fact, natural gas is really a mixture of gases that formed from the fossil remains of ancient plants and animals buried deep in the earth. The main ingredient in natural gas is methane. Natural gas is a popular fuel choice because it burns cleaner, hotter, and brighter than other fossil fuels like coal and oil. It’s also reliable. Because natural gas pipes are buried safely underground, you aren’t likely to lose service during stormy weather." http://www.pge.com/microsite/safety_esw_ngsw/ngsw/basics/whatis.html
General Pros and Cons
Pros of Natural Gas
-available
-clean to burn
-improves public health
-60%-90% less smog produced
-30%-40% less Greenhouse gas emitted (compared to oil and coal)
-increases energy security
-domestically produced -saves money
From fracking to handling natural gas, workers and companies who are directly involved with it benefit the most because Natural Gas provides jobs and pay for them. Companies such as ExxonMobil, XTO Energy, Apache, Samson Resources and Anadarko Petroleum are connected to Natural Gas. Society is not affiliated with the delivery of Natural Gas, but they still benefit. Societies breathe in cleaner air because Natural Gas creates better air quality. Although the air is clearer, fracking tends to pollute ground water. The chemicals seep into underground aquifers. Some of the contaminants cause cancer and other deadly illnesses such as Blue Baby Syndrome. Communities that use well water are in danger if the chemicals are not monitored properly. The small rural town of Pavillion, Wyoming in 2010 proved groundwater contamination from fracking. Contaminants such as phenols, trimethylbenzenes, DRO, and benzene at 50x the level safe for human interaction were detected.
There was a case in Pavilion, Wyoming, where hydraulic fracturing was thought to be the cause of contaminated ground water. "The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has release a draft of an investigation into possible groundwater contamination in Pavilion, Wyoming, where shale gas drilling and hydrofracking had taken place. The conclusions will be troubling for industry: the EPA found evidence of chemicals associated with gas production in the area’s aquafier, and the “data indicates likely impact to groundwater that can be explained by hydraulic fracturing.”" This took place in December of 2011.
"No one can accurately say that there is 'no risk' where fracking is concerned," wrote Amy Mall, a senior policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council, on her blog. Scientific American Although this quote was not specifically directed towards this case, it is a universal statement that seems to apply to the situation in Wyoming.
Natural gas is clean source of energy and as a result is much better for the environment than other fossil fuels or some other sources of energy. It can also be used in many ways to reduce the amount of pollutants in the atmosphere, because it could be used in the place of other sources of energy that may be more harmful to the environment. Natural Gas.org Although Natural Gas does not pose any large threats to the atmosphere, hydrofracking, the process to get natural gas, may be a possible pollutant to rivers and streams. In order to obtain natural gas, people have pumped water, toxic chemicals, and sand into a well to free up natural gas below; however, if the process to bring those substances that have been pumped back out of the well is done improperly, then nearby rivers and groundwater could become contaminated. "Disclosing the contents of fracking fluids helps communities and first responders be better prepared for a spill, and help determine responsibility for any chemical contamination of underground water supplies," says The Wilderness Society Although hydraulic fracturing may be considered safe, people still want to take safety precautions to protect the environment.
Below is a chart of the different uses of natural gas.
Natural gas is the cleanest of all the fossil fuels, as evidenced in the Environmental Protection Agency’s data comparisons in the chart below, which is still current as of 2010. Composed primarily of methane, the main products of natural gas are carbon dioxide and water vapor, the same compounds we exhale when we breathe. Coal and oil are composed of much more complex molecules, with a higher carbon ratio and higher nitrogen and sulfur contents. This means that when combusted, coal and oil release higher levels of harmful emissions, including a higher ratio of carbon emissions, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur dioxide (SO2). Coal and fuel oil also release ash particles into the environment, substances that do not burn but instead are carried into the atmosphere and contribute to pollution. The combustion of natural gas, on the other hand, releases very small amounts of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, virtually no ash or particulate matter, and lower levels of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other reactive hydrocarbons.""Natural gas is an extremely important source of energy for reducing pollution and maintaining a clean and healthy environment. In addition to being a domestically abundant and secure source of energy, the use of natural gas also offers a number of environmental benefits over other sources of energy, particularly other fossil fuels.
Fossil Fuel Emission Levels - Pounds per Billion Btu of Energy Input
"Even as natural gas production in the United States increases and Washington gives it a warm embrace as a crucial component of America’s energy future, two coming studies try to poke holes in the clean-and-green reputation of natural gas. They suggest that the rush to develop the nation’s vast, unconventional sources of natural gas is logistically impractical and likely to do more to heat up the planet than mining and burning coal.
The problem, the studies suggest, is that planet-warming methane, the chief component of natural gas, is escaping into the atmosphere in far larger quantities than previously thought, with as much as 7.9 percent of it puffing out from shale gas wells, intentionally vented or flared, or seeping from loose pipe fittings along gas distribution lines. This offsets natural gas’s most important advantage as an energy source: it burns cleaner than other fossil fuels and releases lower carbon dioxide emissions." http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/business/energy-environment/12gas.html?pagewanted=all
Economics Incentives/Obstacles
Legislative Activity The Obama administration proposed a bill on controlling what chemicals enters the ground through hydrofracking. Before fracking oil companies must present a list of the chemicals they will use to the government. The government can either approve or disapprove the chemicals. They will disapprove them if they harm the locals, groundwater, or wildlife. This bill is different from the original presentation stating discloser to chemicals 30 days prior to a well being drilled. This new bill will help keep underground aquifers clean and safe. Oil drilling industries such as ExxonMobil, XTO Energy, Apache, Samson Resources and Anadarko Petroleum objected to the bill, saying the paperwork involved would slow the process and the companies would lose money. The government tweaked the bill so State regulations did not override cost of compliance. **http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/05/us/new-fracking-rule-is-issued-by-obama-administration.html?_r=1&ref=naturalgas**
"Many energy experts and government officials see natural gas as only a “bridge fuel” to ease the country’s transition from foreign oil and dirty coal to carbon-free energy powered by wind, solar, biofuel and nuclear sources.
President Obama’s economic recovery package, for instance, earmarked nearly $70 billion for renewable energy projects. And federal and state tax credits still offset the expense of buying hybrid autos and installing solar panels or wind turbines.
But natural gas experts scoff at the suggestion that the fuel is of merely transitional value.
“The subsidy associated with renewables makes no economic sense,” says Porter Bennet, CEO of Bentek Energy Services. “I think the government right now is picking winners and losers. They think renewable ought to be a winner and gas ought to be loser. They’re making tremendous investments in the form of subsidies to make sure that happens."
Adds Stark of IHS Global Insight: “My biggest fear is that politically, D.C. still doesn’t get it. The needle right now is biased toward renewable.“
Pricing Problems
The other problem—for the industry and investors—is that the vast new supplies of natural gas are likely to keep prices low for a long time.
“The reality is that in a world of abundant supply and increasing production, prices will likely stay very low,” says stock analyst Alan Brochstein.
Natural Gas
As a result, he thinks the natural gas industry is on the road to "profitless prosperity." " http://www.cnbc.com/id/40341552
The natural gas industry supports nearly 3 million jobs and adds more than $385 billion to the national economy... we have enough natural gas to keep America going strong into the next century," API Although natural gas is a fossil fuel and therefore nonrenewable, the world is not predicted to run short of it anytime soon. There are many reserves, and depletion is removed from our immediate concern. http://www.naturalgas.org/overview/resources.asp
By James, Libby, Anna, and Susie
Table of Contents
Summary
Natural Gas is a naturally formed hydrocarbon gas mixture made up mostly by methane, and it is used as a fuel to heat buildings, cook food, dry clothes, and even can produce electricity. Natural Gas contains many stakeholders, including some like Exxon Mobil, XTO Energy, and the citizens living near the fracking zone. Natural Gas is a cleaner energy source than coal and oil, yet its negative impact on the environment occurs during the process of hydrofracking, the effort to extract natural gas from underground, and pollutants from these efforts are found in rivers and streams. Recently, President Obama's administration proposed a bill in an attempt to control the chemicals released when hydrofracking, and currently companies involved in this issue must send a list of all chemicals that are present underground, in order to monitor the problem. In Pavilion, Wyoming the EPA considered the chemicals being released underground a cause for contamination of groundwater. The chemicals were inserted underground and flowed down the hydraulic gradient all the way to drawdown level of the aquifer.There are several different types of natural gas:
http://www.pge.com/microsite/safety_esw_ngsw/ngsw/basics/whatis.html
General Pros and Cons
Pros of Natural Gas
-available
-clean to burn
-improves public health
-60%-90% less smog produced
-30%-40% less Greenhouse gas emitted (compared to oil and coal)
-increases energy security
-domestically produced
-saves money
Cons of Natural Gas
-does not accomodate all vehicles
-takes longer to produce
-fewer gas miles
-flamable
-toxic
-non-renewable--it's a fossil fuel
-when harnessed, it creates cavities in the earth
Stakeholders
Who Benefits From Natural Gas?
From fracking to handling natural gas, workers and companies who are directly involved with it benefit the most because Natural Gas provides jobs and pay for them. Companies such as ExxonMobil, XTO Energy, Apache, Samson Resources and Anadarko Petroleum are connected to Natural Gas. Society is not affiliated with the delivery of Natural Gas, but they still benefit. Societies breathe in cleaner air because Natural Gas creates better air quality. Although the air is clearer, fracking tends to pollute ground water. The chemicals seep into underground aquifers. Some of the contaminants cause cancer and other deadly illnesses such as Blue Baby Syndrome. Communities that use well water are in danger if the chemicals are not monitored properly. The small rural town of Pavillion, Wyoming in 2010 proved groundwater contamination from fracking. Contaminants such as phenols, trimethylbenzenes, DRO, and benzene at 50x the level safe for human interaction were detected.
-People affected by hydrofracking
-People who live near pipelines
Environmental Impacts
There was a case in Pavilion, Wyoming, where hydraulic fracturing was thought to be the cause of contaminated ground water. "The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has release a draft of an investigation into possible groundwater contamination in Pavilion, Wyoming, where shale gas drilling and hydrofracking had taken place. The conclusions will be troubling for industry: the EPA found evidence of chemicals associated with gas production in the area’s aquafier, and the “data indicates likely impact to groundwater that can be explained by hydraulic fracturing.”" This took place in December of 2011.
http://ecocentric.blogs.time.com/2011/12/09/contaminated-epa-says-fracking-likely-polluted-groundwater/
"No one can accurately say that there is 'no risk' where fracking is concerned," wrote Amy Mall, a senior policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council, on her blog. Scientific American Although this quote was not specifically directed towards this case, it is a universal statement that seems to apply to the situation in Wyoming.
Natural gas is clean source of energy and as a result is much better for the environment than other fossil fuels or some other sources of energy. It can also be used in many ways to reduce the amount of pollutants in the atmosphere, because it could be used in the place of other sources of energy that may be more harmful to the environment. Natural Gas.org Although Natural Gas does not pose any large threats to the atmosphere, hydrofracking, the process to get natural gas, may be a possible pollutant to rivers and streams. In order to obtain natural gas, people have pumped water, toxic chemicals, and sand into a well to free up natural gas below; however, if the process to bring those substances that have been pumped back out of the well is done improperly, then nearby rivers and groundwater could become contaminated. "Disclosing the contents of fracking fluids helps communities and first responders be better prepared for a spill, and help determine responsibility for any chemical contamination of underground water supplies," says The Wilderness Society Although hydraulic fracturing may be considered safe, people still want to take safety precautions to protect the environment.
Below is a chart of the different uses of natural gas.
Natural Gas.org
Natural gas is the cleanest of all the fossil fuels, as evidenced in the Environmental Protection Agency’s data comparisons in the chart below, which is still current as of 2010. Composed primarily of methane, the main products of natural gas are carbon dioxide and water vapor, the same compounds we exhale when we breathe. Coal and oil are composed of much more complex molecules, with a higher carbon ratio and higher nitrogen and sulfur contents. This means that when combusted, coal and oil release higher levels of harmful emissions, including a higher ratio of carbon emissions, nitrogen oxides (NOx), and sulfur dioxide (SO2). Coal and fuel oil also release ash particles into the environment, substances that do not burn but instead are carried into the atmosphere and contribute to pollution. The combustion of natural gas, on the other hand, releases very small amounts of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, virtually no ash or particulate matter, and lower levels of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and other reactive hydrocarbons.""Natural gas is an extremely important source of energy for reducing pollution and maintaining a clean and healthy environment. In addition to being a domestically abundant and secure source of energy, the use of natural gas also offers a number of environmental benefits over other sources of energy, particularly other fossil fuels.
"Even as natural gas production in the United States increases and Washington gives it a warm embrace as a crucial component of America’s energy future, two coming studies try to poke holes in the clean-and-green reputation of natural gas. They suggest that the rush to develop the nation’s vast, unconventional sources of natural gas is logistically impractical and likely to do more to heat up the planet than mining and burning coal.
The problem, the studies suggest, is that planet-warming methane, the chief component of natural gas, is escaping into the atmosphere in far larger quantities than previously thought, with as much as 7.9 percent of it puffing out from shale gas wells, intentionally vented or flared, or seeping from loose pipe fittings along gas distribution lines. This offsets natural gas’s most important advantage as an energy source: it burns cleaner than other fossil fuels and releases lower carbon dioxide emissions."
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/12/business/energy-environment/12gas.html?pagewanted=all
Economics Incentives/Obstacles
Legislative Activity
The Obama administration proposed a bill on controlling what chemicals enters the ground through hydrofracking. Before fracking oil companies must present a list of the chemicals they will use to the government. The government can either approve or disapprove the chemicals. They will disapprove them if they harm the locals, groundwater, or wildlife. This bill is different from the original presentation stating discloser to chemicals 30 days prior to a well being drilled. This new bill will help keep underground aquifers clean and safe. Oil drilling industries such as ExxonMobil, XTO Energy, Apache, Samson Resources and Anadarko Petroleum objected to the bill, saying the paperwork involved would slow the process and the companies would lose money. The government tweaked the bill so State regulations did not override cost of compliance.
**http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/05/us/new-fracking-rule-is-issued-by-obama-administration.html?_r=1&ref=naturalgas**
"Many energy experts and government officials see natural gas as only a “bridge fuel” to ease the country’s transition from foreign oil and dirty coal to carbon-free energy powered by wind, solar, biofuel and nuclear sources.
President Obama’s economic recovery package, for instance, earmarked nearly $70 billion for renewable energy projects. And federal and state tax credits still offset the expense of buying hybrid autos and installing solar panels or wind turbines.
But natural gas experts scoff at the suggestion that the fuel is of merely transitional value.
“The subsidy associated with renewables makes no economic sense,” says Porter Bennet, CEO of Bentek Energy Services. “I think the government right now is picking winners and losers. They think renewable ought to be a winner and gas ought to be loser. They’re making tremendous investments in the form of subsidies to make sure that happens."
Adds Stark of IHS Global Insight: “My biggest fear is that politically, D.C. still doesn’t get it. The needle right now is biased toward renewable.“
Pricing Problems
The other problem—for the industry and investors—is that the vast new supplies of natural gas are likely to keep prices low for a long time.
“The reality is that in a world of abundant supply and increasing production, prices will likely stay very low,” says stock analyst Alan Brochstein.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/40341552
The natural gas industry supports nearly 3 million jobs and adds more than $385 billion to the national economy... we have enough natural gas to keep America going strong into the next century," API
Although natural gas is a fossil fuel and therefore nonrenewable, the world is not predicted to run short of it anytime soon. There are many reserves, and depletion is removed from our immediate concern.
http://www.naturalgas.org/overview/resources.asp